The first Mennonites arrived in America on October 6, 1683 aboard the Concord.
King George, III issued the Proclamation of 1763 on October 7, 1763.
With respect to Georgia’s official boundaries, the proclamation expanded Georgia’s southern boundary by giving the colony all lands between the Altamaha and St. Marys rivers. Previously, the Altamaha had served as Georgia’s southern boundary.
So, the impact of the Proclamation of 1763 was to set Georgia’s official southern boundary as the St. Marys River from its mouth to the headwaters, then north to the Altamaha River, then north to the headwaters of that river, and then westward to the Mississippi River. Georgia’s northern boundary was the Savannah River from its mouth to its headwaters.
Patriot militia defeated Loyalists at the Battle of King’s Mountain in North Carolina, near the South Carolina border on October 7, 1780.
The Chicago Fire began on October 8, 1871. A completely different kind of Chicago Fire is underway now.
On October 8, 1895, the Liberty Bell arrived in Atlanta for the Cotton States Exposition.
The famously–cracked 2,000 pound pealer left Philadelphia on seven trips between 1885 and 1915. Each time it came home with more cracks. It turned out the men hired to guard the Bell were taking liberties, literally: chipping off pieces and selling them as souvenirs.
Cheering crowds greeted the Bell in Atlanta. A two–mile parade took it to Piedmont Park, where 50,000 people lined up to see it.
Cy Young threw his last professional baseball game as a member of the Boston Braves on October 6, 1911.
On October 7, 1916, Georgia Tech beat Cumberland College in the most-one-sided college football game in history, by a score of 222-0.
The Engineers led 63–0 after the first quarter and 126–0 at halftime. Tech added 54 more points in the third quarter and 42 in the final period.
The Democratic Republic of Germany (East Germany) was created by the Soviets on October 7, 1949.
On October 6, 1953, WTVM-TV began broadcasting in Columbus, Georgia.
Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Vice President Richard Nixon met in the second televised Presidential debate on October 7, 1960.
On October 9, 1963, the Board of Regents approved a new junior college in Cobb County that is today Kennesaw State University. The next year, Cobb County voters approved a bond referendum to fund construction.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience held its first rehearsal on October 6, 1966.
President Richard Nixon proposed a structure for peace and eventual withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam on October 7, 1970.
The second Presidential debate between Republican incumbent Gerald Ford and Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter took place on October 6, 1976. During the debate, Ford said, there was “no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe”. Polling released on October 8, 1976 indicated that Democrat Jimmy Carter won the second debate against President Gerald Ford by a 50-27 margin.
Pope John Paul II became the first Pope to visit the White House on October 6, 1979. Carter’s notes from the meeting are at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta.
Democrat Jimmy Carter challenged President Gerald Ford to make his income tax returns public on October 9, 1976.
On October 8, 1981, former Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter visited with President Ronald Reagan at the White House before heading to Egypt to represent the United States at the funeral of assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
Long-time Atlanta Braves pitcher Phil Niekro won his 300th game on October 8, 1984, though he wore Yankees pinstripes for that game.
The last four B-52 bombers stationed at Robins Air Force Base in Warner-Robins left the base for the last time on October 6, 1983.
United States Senator Sam Nunn announced on October 9, 1995 that he would not run for reelection. From CNN’s contemporary story:
“I know in my heart it is time to follow a new course,” Nunn told reporters gathered in the Georgia State Capitol. He said his decision followed “a lot of thought and prayer” and he expressed enthusiasm about meaningful days ahead in the private sector.
“Today I look forward to more freedom, to more flexibility,” he said, adding he planned to spend time with his family, to write, and “devote a substantial amount of time” to public policy and public service. He said he has no immediate plans for a presidential bid.
Nunn hailed America as “the greatest country in the world,” but cited problems that need attention, including education concerns, illegitimate children, and widespread violence and drugs. He expressed optimism on such items as the strong military and entitlement reform.
The Chicago Tribune reported that Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said of Sam Nunn’s retirement,
“For those who listened carefully, it is clear that the Democratic Party is not the vehicle for the values outlined by Sen. Nunn.”
Nolan Waters of Knight-Ridder wrote of the announcement,
Nunn’s departure is a watershed.
“Nunn is the last of the great moderate Southern Democrats. This creates a huge hole for the party,” said Merle Black, a specialist on Southern politics at Emory University in Atlanta.
Nunn, like President Clinton, helped organize a group of moderate Democrats, the Democratic Leadership Council, in an attempt to move the party rightward after the 1984 landslide re-election of President Reagan.
“He has been fighting the liberal wing of his party for over two decades,” Black said. “It’s been a losing battle.”
In place of Nunn, the state’s most prominent politician is becoming House Speaker Newt Gingrich – whose futuristic, activist style of conservatism seems radical along-side Nunn’s traditionalism.
The first C-5A airplane arrived at Robins Air Force Base on October 8, 1997.
On October 8, 1998, the United States House of Representatives voted 258-176 to authorize an impeachment inquiry against President Bill Clinton.
President George W. Bush (43) announced military action in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001.
In a televised address that evening, Bush informed the American public that “carefully targeted actions” were being carried out to crush the military capability of al-Qaida and the Taliban, with help from British, Canadian, Australian, German and French troops. An additional 40 nations around the world provided intelligence, as well as bases from which the operations were conducted.
Bush touted the multinational effort as proof that America, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, was “supported by the collective will of the world.” He also warned that the war in Afghanistan would likely be only the first front in a long struggle against terrorism. He vowed to continue to take what he called the “war on terror” to those countries that sponsored, harbored or trained terrorists.
President George W. Bush issued an Executive Order establishing the Department of Homeland Security on October 8, 2001.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California on October 7, 2003.
October 9th is Leif Erikson Day, celebrating the Norse explorer being the first European to visit North America. From Mental Floss:
While the actual date of Leif Erikson Day doesn’t have anything personally to do with Leif, it was picked for the holiday because it’s the anniversary of the day that the ship Restauration arrived in New York from Stavanger, Norway, back in 1825. The arrival of the Restauration marked the beginning of organized immigration from Scandinavia to the USA. The holiday was first recognized by Wisconsin in 1930, eventually becoming a nationally observed holiday in 1964.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry warns of impending traffic cluster congestion, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry did not mince words as he talked about the expected traffic delays and headaches expected from the upcoming Interstate 285 bridge replacement at State Route 400 in north Fulton County on Wednesday.
Georgia DOT will spend the next eight months replacing the bridges, and the work is expected to start as soon as this weekend. Initially, inside lanes will be closed in each direction — the east-bound side first followed by the west-bound side two weeks later — so part of the existing bridge can be removed and replaced. Once those lanes are placed, traffic will shift onto them while the same process is done with the remaining existing lanes.
That means I-285 will be reduced to three lanes in each direction at one of the busiest interchanges in metro Atlanta. Georgia DOT is warning drivers that the closures will likely add at least an hour to commute times.
“Stay off 285 and 400,” McMurry told the Gwinnett Chamber during a luncheon at the 1818 Club in Duluth on Wednesday. “You heard it here first. The original 285 bridges are sitting in the middle of the lanes at 285 and 400, right like a bullseye. We need to replace those original vintage bridges and the only way to get there is to reduce 285 to three lanes in each direction for about eight months.”
The Georgia Supreme Court heard arguments on whether Camden County Commissioners are bound by the results of a referendum designed to kill the Camden Spaceport, according to The Brunswick News.
A lawyer representing Camden County commissioners said the defendant, Camden County Probate Court Judge Robert C. Sweatt, was not authorized to approve a special election based on a petition to prevent county officials from spending more money to pursue a spaceport after more than $11 million had been spent on the effort.
Justices asked for the rationale behind why Camden officials believe the results of a special election should be overturned months after the fact. A lawyer representing the county argued the election should have never been held and asked for the results to be voided.
The argument for the county was if the court allows the special election results to stand, voters anywhere in the state could challenge decisions by local elected officials.
Judges questioned why county officials did not pursue an appeal in Superior Court prior to the election and if overturning an election after the fact was a realistic request.
In that referendum, 72% of voters took away the right of the county commission to purchase the Union Carbide property for what Weinkle described as “the speculative” Spaceport Camden, he said.
A court ruling is not expected until November or later.
From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Albany Herald:
“[The] referendum in Camden County was a legal nullity … the constitution did not authorize it,” said Pearson Cunningham, one of the attorneys for Camden County.
“The Georgia Constitution says what it says – the right to repeal a county ordinance is explicit… [Camden County] wants the court to determine that the Constitution does not mean what it says,” said Phillip Thompson, one of the lawyers for the people who led the petition drive to hold the referendum.
On Thursday, arguments focused on Georgia’s home rule discretion, which grants counties the right to make real estate agreements that do not conflict with state law.
Camden attorney Pearson Cunningham asked the justices to dismiss the petition that led to the March election in which residents rejected Union Carbide’s agreement to sell 4,000 acres across from Little Cumberland Island to the county.
“If the constitution’s county home rule provision does not provide for this type of referendum election, then it’s the county’s position that (Probate Court Judge Robert Sweatt Jr.) was without jurisdiction to order the referendum in the first place,” Cunningham said.
“How can the probate judge not have jurisdiction to consider the petition that the constitutional home rule provision says that’s the job of the probate judge?” Justice Carla Wong McMillian asked.
Cunningham said the probate judge is responsible for considering the petition, conducting the election, and certifying it to the secretary of state. Probate judges, however, have historically served as county elections officers, not as judges, he said.
“I think what we’re saying is that it is not clear that the probate judge is sitting as the probate court judge of Camden County when he’s considering that petition,” Cunningham said. “We’re asking, is the probate judge wearing a judicial cap or is he wearing the historical election officer’s cap?”
A referendum required the signatures of at least 10% of Camden County’s registered voters to be verified by the court. Opponents gathered more than 3,500 petition signatures calling for a special election.
Tuesday, October 11, 2022 is the deadline for voter registration to be eligible to vote in the November general elections, according to the Statesboro Herald.
Tuesday, Oct. 11, is the deadline to register to vote – or update your address and other registration information – for Georgia’s Nov. 8 general election. Three weeks of early voting opportunity, including two Saturdays, will begin Oct. 17.
Throughout Georgia, the ballot includes a race of national importance for the U.S. Senate, as well contests for governor and seven other statewide offices, plus decisions on two state constitutional amendments and two state referendums.
All Bulloch County ballots will feature the referendum on whether liquor stores will be allowed in the county’s unincorporated area and two referendums on five-year extensions of local-option sales taxes, the T-SPLOST for transportation purposes and the E-SPLOST for education purposes. Voters in Commission District 1 will decide one race for county commissioner, while voters in District 2 will decide another, and together those two districts encompass the whole county.
“Anybody that has moved within the county or from another county, anybody that changed their name, anything that applies that they want the information changed so that information is reflected in the system, we need to do it by the 11th,” said Bulloch County Election Supervisor Shontay Jones. “Anybody that has major changes – you know, maybe they used to have a P.O. box and now they don’t have one – any of that information needs to be updated.”
Voters and would-be voters can check their registration, and also register to vote or update their registration, online at the statewide My Voter Page, https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ or through the “Register to Vote” portal on the county site, https://bullochcounty.net/elections. Online registration is supposedly possible until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
If you need to change your voter registration or register, click here for the Georgia Secretary of State’s voter registration page.
“With something as important as this gubernatorial and midterm election you want to make sure you get your ballot in and get it counted,” said Colin McRae, Chatham County Board of Registrars Chairman.
“This ballot has, it runs the gambit from large, nationwide, federal legislative bodies all the way down to local races, so I can’t stress enough how important it is to get out and vote in this election,” McRae said.
“Early voting will be a large, if not the predominating method of voting for this election,” says McRae, “We’ve seen the percentages flip-flop between election day and before election day. So now, we expect it to be much more than 50% of the ballots will be cast before election day.”
Early voting begins on Oct. 17 and goes until Nov. 4 — during that time, the Main Election Office, the Savannah Civic Center, Mosquito Control, Islands Library and the Southwest Library will be open during regular operating hours.
“You have an opportunity through your voice and your vote to determine who’s going to represent you and who you think best represents your values, your principles and seeing those brought up to the state capitol or the US capitol,” says McRae.
Oct. 11 is the last day to register to vote in Chatham county and the deadline to register for an absentee ballot is Oct. 28.
But remember there were some changes with Senate Bill 202. The drop boxes are located inside of early voting locations and there are only three in the county now.
Also, the window to get in your absentee ballot application is shorter, but the Chatham County Board of Registrars says that does help them fix errors and still get you a ballot on time.
“It gives more time in case a mistake is made on your absentee ballot…you will get the opportunity to cure it. And if it does have an error we will let you know through a cure letter saying hey this one aspect of your application for an absentee ballot was off, fix this and we will send you a ballot,” said Colin McRae with Chatham County Board of Registrars.
Some of the most common errors they see with mail in ballot applications is not filling it all out, you need your drivers license number or ID number, your birthday and you need to sign it.
On Monday, absentee ballots will start getting mailed out, so make sure to check your mailbox over the next few weeks.
On Election Day, all absentee ballots must be put in one of the county’s three drop boxes by 7 p.m. to be counted. These can be found at the BOE office on Eisenhower, Islands Library and Mosquito Patrol.
If you’re mailing your absentee ballot, McRae suggests getting them mailed at least a week before Election Day.
Senate candidate Herschel Walker (R) and incumbent U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Atlanta) said they will still debate in Savannah, according to the Savannah Morning News.
During a rally Thursday afternoon at a lumber mill in a small South Georgia town near located 30 minutes from his childhood home, Walker bantered with a reporter when asked the debate at Plant Riverside’s District Live entertainment venue.
“Oh, is (Warnock) going to be there?” Walker said. “Are you going to be there? Ok, so I’ll see you there.”
As for the Oct. 14 debate and his preparations, Warnock said he’s “been doing the work and that is exceedingly clear.”
Both candidates stumped for votes, according to WTOC.
Senator Raphael Warnock made stops along the Coastal Empire today, including in Savannah. Republican challenger Herschel Walker was campaigning near Augusta today as well.
Senator Raphael Warnock, a Savannah native, returned to his hometown today touting the work he says he’s already done in office across the political divide.
Herschel Walker making a stop in Wadley today speaking to a crowd of supporters about being an underdog.
“The problem we have sometimes, is we’re looking at something else. We think something else is better. But you have to work for everything you get.”
WRDW covered Walker’s appearance in Wadley:
After a three-and-a-half-hour delay, Walker finally took the stage in front of his supporters.
After his talk, he answered some questions about his allegations. Allegations claiming he paid an ex-girlfriend for an abortion, but Walker says it isn’t true.
“I’ll take this here. The abortion thing is false. It’s a lie. And that’s what I said. I said anything happened to my ex-wife or what Christian was talking about, I don’t know,” he said.
Along with this, claims of this abortion happened with one of the mothers of Walker’s children, but he again denied it.
“In the article, I had more kids. That’s why I hadn’t reached out to anyone because I said no. And that’s what I mean. When I said no, I said that is not correct. That’s a lie. And that’s what I mean. That’s a lie.”
From the Associated Press via AccessWDUN:
Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker remained defiant Thursday after successive reports alleging that he encouraged and paid for a woman’s 2009 abortion and later fathered a child with her.
“I know why you’re here. I do,” he told reporters after his first public campaign speech since The Daily Beast’s initial report Monday. “You’re here because the Democrats are desperate to hold on to this seat here, and they’re desperate to make this race about my family.”
He went on to repeat: “This abortion thing is false. It’s a lie.”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t getting calls from Republicans who are very concerned and struggling with what they’re going to do in the voting booth,” Martha Zoller, a popular radio host in north Georgia and one-time congressional candidate, said in an interview.
Zoller said that no “committed Republican” would vote for Warnock but that many would consider backing the Libertarian nominee or skipping the Senate race altogether. “I think most won’t know until they’re standing there in the booth,” she said. “That’s how jarring these revelations are.”
Savannah named a street “Raphael Warnock Way,” according to WTOC.
A designation ceremony was held Thursday with the Senator in attendance. He says its special to feel the pride of his hometown.
“Its a wonderful thing for your hometown to say we’re proud. And when i think about all that was poured into me, I really have spent a lifetime hoping that the folks that invested so much in me would be proud and would see that I tried my best to make good on that investment,” Sen. Warnock said.
Savannah City Council approved this designation back in August.
I’m not sure how that in-kind contribution to his campaign will be accounted for on campaign finance disclosures.
Speaking of campaign disclosures, Sen. Warnock’s shows a significant funding lead, according to the Associated Press via AccessWDUN.
Walker said Wednesday that his campaign raised more than $12 million in the three months ending Sept. 30, giving him almost $33 million since he began his campaign. Walker’s campaign said that’s the most of any Republican candidate this cycle.
Walker spent almost $11 million during the third quarter, leaving him with about $7 million on hand.
Despite Walker’s strongest fundraising quarter to date, he lags far behind Warnock, who has become one of the Senate’s most prolific fundraisers. Republican strategists in Washington, however, said planned spending by party committees and GOP-aligned PACs will keep Republicans’ overall Senate advertising in Georgia on par with Warnock and the Democrats ahead of Election Day on Nov. 8.
Warnock reported raising $26.3 million in the quarter that ended Sept. 30. He’s now raised about $90 million since winning one of two 2021 runoffs, along with Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff, that gave their party control of the Senate.
Democrat Stacey Abrams raised more than $36 million dollars in the latest filing, according to the AJC.
Stacey Abrams continued her dominating fundraising streak by collecting more than $36 million over the latest three-month disclosure period for her rematch against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
That’s nearly $9 million more than the Democrat raised during her entire 2018 campaign against Kemp, who narrowly defeated her four years ago and is now seeking a second term.
Abrams said Monday she’ll report more than $11 million in cash on hand between her two campaign committees. Kemp, meanwhile, enters the final stretch of the race with a heftier bank account: He boasts $15.4 million in his coffers.
Abrams has far outraised Kemp since announcing her bid in December, collecting more than $85 million with the help of a Republican-created leadership committee that allows nominees for governor and certain other offices to raise unlimited funds.
Much of that money has come from out of state. The latest figures weren’t immediately available, but roughly 86% of Abrams’ itemized contributions through June came from beyond Georgia.
State Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Houston County) will defend his seat against Democratic challenger Courtney Driver, according to 13WMAZ.
“I’d like to see us moving forward continue to help our teachers teach the subjects that they’re provided in the classroom and certainly want to see more things that would simplify instead of complicate the environment,” Blackmon explained.
“I believe that all Georgia students deserve a quality education and that means quality teachers receive quality pay, so what I would like to do is raise teacher salaries to start at $50,000 a year,” Driver said.
We talked to them about the worker shortages that have plagued central Georgia employers the last couple years. Blackmon says COVID could be to blame, while Driver says wages are too low. This is what they say they’d do to help:
“We continue to I think do things at the state level like dual enrollment, we see our high-demand career initiatives through the technical college system, and you see some of the loan reimbursement like we have going on at Mercer with our rural physicians and our engineers, so I would like to see us continue to do those kinds of things,” the Incumbent [Blackmon] explained.
“It starts with us paying workers a livable wage, and that also means that we need to give them the health care that they require to thrive — healthy people will be happy workers, so I believe that’s one of the things we need to do is to pay folks a livable wage,” the veteran [Driver] said.
The Gainesville Times profiles the candidates in the District 30 open seat to represent parts of Gwinnett and Hall Counties in the State House.
What to know about this race: Derrick McCollum won the GOP nomination for the seat. Kim Floria faced no opposition in the Democratic primary. A 2021 redrawing of district lines moved state Rep. Emory Dunahoo, R-Gillsville, out of District 30 into District 31, leaving District 30 as an open seat.
Candidates on the state budget
In the last General Assembly, legislators cut state income tax this legislative session and gave out more than $1 billion in tax rebates. How do you think future budget surpluses should be handled?
Floria: She would like the surplus to go to schools. She believes the state should especially “fund those schools in lower income/poverty areas, which has not been done, and we need to provide social services to students in need such as school counselors and mental health advocates.” She also would like to see continued raises for educators and funding for Medicaid expansion.
McCollum: A big chunk of projected surpluses are “spoken for,” including making up for the state’s decision in March to waive its gasoline tax. Otherwise, “I think we need to continue helping Georgians. They’re hurting — gas prices, groceries, everything.” He added: “We are in a recession and if the economy continues going downhill, we are going to need some of the surplus to help Georgians.”
Candidates on abortion legislation
Georgia’s HB 481, or the “Heartbeat Bill,” which bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, took effect July 22 in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. What other actions do you believe legislators should take, if any, on this issue?
Floria: She would like to see the Heartbeat Bill repealed. “I am pro-choice. I respect someone’s right to make a decision as I would want them to respect my right to make a decision, to make a choice like that. I don’t think legislators have the right to dictate what a person does with their body.” The future could mean “more restrictions on people’s choices.”
McCollum: A supporter of the Heartbeat Bill, “I just think we need to protect our unborn children,” he said. He noted that while some other states have had an all-out ban on abortions, he would look at other legislation “as it comes, but I think we’re in good shape.”
Democrat Stacey Abrams will hold a rally in Gwinnett County, according to AccessWDUN.
Democratic nominee for Governor, Stacey Abrams, announced Wednesday that she will hold an AAPI Community Rally with Secretary of State candidate, Bee Nguyen, in Gwinnett County on Friday, October 7.
LaGrange Mayor Jim Thornton will resign from office and take a job as Director of Governmental Relations for Georgia Municipal Association, according to WTVM.
Thorton is taking a new position of Director of Governmental Relations for Georgia Municipal Association and plans to resign as mayor on Nov. 23.
The city council plans to hold a special election in March of next year to select his replacement, but Councilman Willie Edmonson will take over the role until then.
Thorton commented that this position “Will allow me to unite my skills as an attorney and my passion for local government and public service.”
Attorney General Chris Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit indicted seven more alleged gang members, according to AccessWDUN.
The suspects are members of the Red Tape Gang, according to authorities, and have engaged in repeated criminal activities in furtherance of the gang. The Red Tape Gang is a local hybrid gang with ties to major national Bloods, including Sex Money Murder and the Rollin’ 20s.
The Red Tape Gang members’ indictments are unrelated to three other indictments that were issued on Oct. 4 for two members of the 1-8 Trey Bloods.
“With our new Gang Prosecution Unit, we are dedicating every resource available to disrupting the growing gang networks that are terrorizing our communities,” Carr said in a press release. “This is our fourth indictment out of Athens and a product of our strong partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement as we work together to protect our fellow citizens. All Georgians – no matter where they live – deserve to be safe, and we will continue fighting to root out gang activity in every corner of our state.”
The Gainesville City School Board adopted a “Parent’s Bill of Rights,” according to the Gainesville Times.
The policy follows a law of the same name signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in April, HB 1187.
It would seem to increase parental oversight in schools, but Gainesville Superintendent Jeremy Williams said it’s nothing new. Public school boards were required to adopt their own policies under the law.
“The policy basically includes items already available to parents,” he said. “It’s nothing new for us.”
Bulloch County won a “Distinguished Budget Presentation Award” for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Statesboro Herald.
“We are excited to receive this award once again because we know how hard the Finance staff works every day but especially during the budget preparation season,” [Commission Chair Roy] Thompson said. “We are very thankful for their expertise on helping the county be good stewards for our citizens.”
The award represents a significant achievement by the Bulloch County finance division, Thompson said.
In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as a financial plan, as an operations guide and as a communications device.
“This award provides meaningful recognition and a best practices framework to present the county’s annual business plan,” said County Manager Tom Couch. “High performing local governments strive to win this award.
“Our CFO Kristie King deserves high praise for this award,” he said. “She has also produced our first digital budget book on our website. This digital budget provides for easier navigation for citizen users. We are among only a handful of local governments in Georgia who have this capability.”
Anyone who would like to view the budget book, may find it at: https://bullochcounty.net/budget/
A group of short term rental owners calling themselves the Tybee Alliance filed a lawsuit over the city’s Short Term Vacation Rental (STVR) ordinance, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The city’s ongoing attempts at regulating the short-term vacation rental (STVR) industry prompted a group of vacation rental companies and individual homeowners to file a lawsuit in Chatham County Superior Court on Wednesday morning. The plaintiffs, who call themselves the Tybee Alliance, claim that Tybee Island’s existing STVR ordinance, enacting in 2016, is not legally enforceable under Georgia law.
Tybee officials are in the process of updating the ordinance and imposing stricter regulations. The updated law is currently in draft form but could be up for adoption at the next Tybee Council meeting, scheduled for Oct. 13.
For over a year now, Tybee Island has instituted a moratorium that paused issuing new STVR permits to properties within the city’s residential zones. In that time, the city has hosted town halls, stakeholder meetings and workshops to discuss how to better regulate STVRs while keeping both businesses’ and residents’ interests in mind.
So far, the city has enacted a new fee structure for STVR properties and an occupancy rate. Other discussions, namely implementing a cap on the number of STVRs in certain zoning districts, have been brought up, explored and dissected throughout the duration of the moratorium.
“We’ve spent the last year, as vacation rental managers and as a broader coalition, trying work hand in hand with council to come up with solutions that work for everybody, protects the rights of employees, the property rights of homeowners and don’t harm the economy of the island,” [Tybee Alliance Chair Dustin] Church said.
[T]he suit states, the existence of an STVR registry violates a part of the Georgia code that limits municipal powers on enforcement. The code reads in part, “in no event may a local government require the registration of residential rental property.”
The suit also alleges that the city’s mandated fees violate a part of the Georgia Code governing revenue and taxation, which reads: “A local government is authorized to require a business or practitioner of a profession or occupation to pay a regulatory fee only if the local government customarily performs investigation or inspection.”
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